


24601

by corellianrogue



Category: Dong Bang Shin Ki
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen, mentions of violence against children
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-18
Updated: 2012-11-18
Packaged: 2017-11-18 22:15:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/565862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/corellianrogue/pseuds/corellianrogue
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gotta eat to live, gotta steal to eat. But stealing even food can have dire consequences. Especially when they don’t care who they punish as long as they punish someone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	24601

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the 2011 hc_bingo challenge on LJ.

  
Jaejoong waited until the crowd started to wander away before edging his way closer to the square. It took too long for his liking. Apparently watching a fifteen-year-old boy get whipped half to death was the most fun they’d had all week. Fucking bastards. He’d kill every one of them if he could, for just standing there and watching or pointing and making stupid comments about _street urchins, burdens on society, trash_ like they knew anything.  
  
“You’re an idiot.”  
  
He wanted to hit Yunho himself for just sitting there and smiling sheepishly at him. Like this was no worse or more upsetting than admitting he ate the last cookie.  
  
“You’re an idiot and a bastard and I should hate you right now. Or leave you there.” Except he wouldn’t. He was already untying the ropes around Yunho’s wrists and crouching to drag Yunho onto his back. “I should leave you here, but Junsu’s been sobbing since he ran back to tell us what you did, and I had to wait too long to get to you, so he’s probably cried himself into a stupor by now, and-”  
  
“I’m sorry.”  
  
He paused then continued trudging their way home. His heart twisted but he was still too mad at Yunho and the world in equal measure to answer that. “And... you know when Junsu’s upset, Changmin and Yoochun just get insufferable, and...”  
  
A quiet sigh that he didn’t even hear, just felt it ghost across his cheek. “I’m sorry. What would you have wanted me to do? Let them take him instead?”  
  
“No!” That wasn’t even an option. How could Yunho ask that? Except he knew how Yunho could ask that, because it was the other option. Someone had been about to get caught and of course Yunho couldn’t let it be anyone else. “I hate you. I really do. Why do you have to be like this?”  
  
Yunho didn’t answer him that time and Jaejoong didn’t really expect him to. He already knew the answer, anyway. Yunho had to be like this because who else was going to be? Who else was going to take care of them? Jaejoong did his best, but he wasn’t Yunho, and that was why they needed him and why he couldn’t just go around getting himself half-killed like this. Not that he expected Yunho to just cut one of them loose instead, but... couldn’t Yunho just pretend to make him feel better?  
  
He ducked them into an alley to avoid a patrol. Technically, he was breaking a law just freeing Yunho like this, but after the punishment was completed, most of the guards were willing to look the other way as long as he made it easy to do so. He took the opportunity to lower Yunho carefully to the ground, checking on his back now that he actually had time. It was as much of a mess as he expected it to be. Kids like them never got off easy. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much he could do about it.  
  
He dropped his head, just for a second. Yoochun would be pacing by now and practically ready to come out looking for them, even if he wasn’t nearly healthy enough to do so yet. Changmin would probably be crushing the worry stone Jaejoong had jokingly given him half to death. And Junsu... Junsu thought it was all his fault.  
  
And it was, an angry part of Jaejoong thought. It was all his fault. If he hadn’t been stupid and gotten caught-  
  
Gotten caught stealing food for Yoochun, another part reminded the angry one. Food for all of them. He was still new but he was trying. Jaejoong and Yunho couldn’t do everything, no matter how much they tried.  
  
He breathed a deep sigh, finally picking his head up to find Yunho watching him. Which brought them here. Because Yunho was too noble for his own good, and because Jaejoong wasn’t there to do something equally stupid instead. “You really are an idiot, Jung Yunho. A noble idiot.”  
  
“That’s me.” Yunho grinned, like it was all going to be okay.  
  
And maybe it was.


End file.
